PEDC Meeting Planning and Economic Development Committee DATE: May 8, 2019 Ithaca Common Council TIME: 6:00 pm LOCATION: 3rd floor City Hall Council Chambers AMENDED MAY 8, 2019 AGENDA ITEMS Item Voting Presenter (s) Time Item? Start 1) Call to Order/Agenda Review No Seph Murtagh, Chair 6:00 2) Public Comment No 6:05 3) Special Order of Business a) Public Hearing: E‐scooters Pilot Program Yes 6:15 b) Public Hearing: HUD Entitlement ‐ City of Ithaca Consolidated Yes 6:30 Plan 2019‐2023 (5‐year strategy plan) c) Public Hearing: HUD Entitlement ‐ City of Ithaca 2019 Action Yes 6:35 Plan (1‐year project funding allocations) 4) Action Items (Voting to Send on to Council) a) HUD Entitlement ‐ City of Ithaca Consolidated Plan 2019‐ Yes Nels Bohn, IURA Director 6:45 2023 (5‐year Strategy Plan) . b) HUD Entitlement ‐ City of Ithaca 2019 Action Plan (1‐year Yes Nels Bohn, IURA Director 6:55 Project Funding Allocations) c) Carpenter Business Park Planned Unit Development – Yes Jennifer Kusznir, Senior Planner 7:00 Conditional Approval d) Resolution Authorizing E‐Scooter Pilot Program Yes MATCom 7:30 e) Rent Stabilization Resolution Yes Cynthia Brock, PEDC Member 8:00 5) Action items (Approval to Circulate) a) West State Street Zoning Amendment Yes JoAnn Cornish, Planning Director 8:20 6) Discussion a) Ithaca Area Waste Water Treatment Facility – Disclosure No Cynthia Brock, PEDC Member 8:35 Agreement 7) Review and Approval of Minutes a) March and April 2019 Yes 8:55 8) Adjournment Yes 9:00 If you have a disability and require accommodations in order to fully participate, please contact the City Clerk at 274‐6570 by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 7th, 2018. ** Out of consideration for the health of other individuals, please try to refrain from using perfume/cologne and other scented personal care products at City of Ithaca meetings. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. ** PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT for immediate release May 3, 2019 The City of Ithaca Planning and Economic Development Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposed launch of e-scooters in the City of Ithaca on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 6:00 PM in the City of Ithaca Common Council Chambers, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York. The City of Ithaca‘s Mobility, Accessibility and Transportation Commission has prepared a draft recommendation for consideration by the Planning Committee and Common Council. The proposed pilot program duration is recommended for June 2019 through mid-November 2019. Additional recommendations include preparing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and the e-scooter provider following the guidelines outlined by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and should establish clear regulations regarding e-scooter usage as well as requiring the e-scooter provider to maintain a minimum fleet of bicycles, both pedal and e-bikes, along with the e-scooter program, to meet the needs of the entire community. It is suggested that Common Council support stipulations requiring e-scooter providers to ensure e-scooters are distributed among a variety of neighborhoods as equitable distribution and usage of e-scooters can potentially provide a new, affordable mode of transportation to the entire community. The draft recommendation and related materials can be found online at www.cityofithaca.org. Hard copies are available in the Planning Department on the third floor of City Hall (607) 274-6550. City of Ithaca, New York 2019‐2023 Consolidated Plan Draft for Public Review Prepared by Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency 4/18/2019 Executive Summary ES‐05 Executive Summary ‐ 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b) 1. Introduction The City of Ithaca has a valuable resource that many communities do not. As a HUD entitlement community, Ithaca receives HUD dollars to dedicate to affordable housing and other community development projects, with a focus on increasing opportunity for people with low‐to moderate‐ incomes (LMI). In the past five years, this funding has helped Ithaca leverage other resources for new construction of affordable housing, both rental and homebuyer, like 210 Hancock Street; filled the gaps on qualified projects, such as the renovation of our local domestic violence shelter; and, in relatively unusual cases, provided the bulk amount for an entire project. Ithaca is a busy small city ‐‐ a strong, regional employment center with two thriving institutions of higher education. People from across the region and the globe come to Ithaca for work, study, or both. In turn, Ithaca has become a vital hub with access to employment; educational and enrichment opportunities for people of all ages; exquisite natural areas and well‐maintained green spaces proximate to City neighborhoods; and robust public facilities and public services that strengthen the quality of life for City residents. These characteristics and economic opportunities also put pressure on Ithaca’s housing market, creating scarcity and unaffordability. Even as affordable rental and for‐sale housing has been newly constructed or preserved through rehabilitation and repair (all prioritized activities in our previous Con Plans), housing at every level of affordability continues to be voiced as a major need. Purpose: This plan’s purpose is to guide the next five years’ use of HUD entitlement funding in the City of Ithaca. It is the City’s fourth Consolidated Plan. Through the consolidated planning process, community members have given input about the housing and community development needs in Ithaca. Community leaders, committees, organizations, and subject‐matter experts have been consulted. Quantitative data has been analyzed. Together, these sources of information create a comprehensive picture of the ways in which HUD funding could be deployed to help meet these needs. This plan discusses and prioritizes the needs that have been identified; evaluates past performance; surveys existing resources; and updates past goals. It outlines possibilities for future action and aligns these prospective actions with goals, to ensure we focus on meeting the community’s most pressing needs. 2. Summary of the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan Needs Assessment Overview The Consolidated Plan outlines goals that will be pursued over the next five years to address identified community needs. CDBG and HOME programs advance the following statutory objectives, for the principal benefit of low‐and moderate‐income households: Provide decent, safe, and affordable housing (CDBG) Create suitable living environments (CDBG) Expand economic opportunities (CDBG) Expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing (HOME) The City has established the following local goals for this Consolidated Plan period, which reflect the needs identified by the community and support the above‐named statutory objectives. Improve and Expand Affordable Housing Options There continues to be an acute shortage of affordable housing in the City of Ithaca. The City’s 2017 Assessment of Fair Housing found 53% of all City households were cost‐burdened, with 36% severely so. (Source: American Community Survey 2010‐2015). To address this need, the City will support projects that increase the total supply of affordable units of all types and the affordability of existing units, and will improve the condition of existing affordable units. Develop Economic and Employment Opportunities Ithaca is highly‐educated community with a low unemployment rate. This creates a very difficult dynamic for low‐and moderate‐income community members who do not have specialized skills or advanced educational attainment. To address this need, the City will provide direct loans and support technical assistance to businesses to create jobs; support entrepreneurship training and technical assistance; and support initiatives that provide career‐readiness training, job placement, skill development, and on‐going post‐placement support. Remove Barriers to Opportunity The opportunities of our community should be accessible to all its residents, regardless of residents’ particular physical or socio‐economic characteristics. Where barriers exist, they should be removed. To address this need, the City will seek to increase transportation options; will support residential and public physical accessibility improvements; support early childhood, senior, and homeless programming; and services to immigrants. Strengthen Neighborhoods For our City to thrive as a whole, each of its constituent parts must have the adequate resources and infrastructure to meet the needs of its residents and support their aspirations. To address this need, the City will support physical improvements to streets, parks, recreational facilities, public buildings, and transportation systems for the benefit of low‐ and moderate‐income neighborhoods; support redevelopment of abandoned properties; and support programs that facilitate homeownership. Meet Essential Needs for Food, Shelter, and Safety Ithaca’s most vulnerable, at‐risk populations require public services and public facilities that will meet basic human needs for food, shelter, and safety. To address this need, the City will support programs that prevent homelessness, improve access to health care, ensure safe living environments, and/or increase awareness and utilization of existing community resources in these areas. Affirmatively Further Fair Housing The City’s 2017 Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) analyzed data in order to identify local factors that contribute to local fair housing